Presentation folder and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A presentation folder includes a backing having an outer surface and an inner surface; a fold line dividing the inner surface into a left side and a right side; a first pocket secured to either the left or right sides; and one or more inserts detachably connected to the inner surface, wherein the one or more inserts are partially contained within the first pocket. Each of the inserts includes a perforation defining a top portion and a bottom portion of the insert. The perforation allows the top portion to be torn from the bottom portion. The top portion may contain preprinted informational material on either one or both sides thereof. A functionally equivalent second pocket may be secured to the right side. A method for manufacturing the presentation folder is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.60/616,031 entitled “Presentation Folder and Method of Making Same,”filed Oct. 5, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a folder having one or more pocketsand/or inserts and to a method of making the folder.

2. Description of Related Art

Folders are commonplace in today's society and are used by the young andold alike. Folders are typically used to store collected documents tokeep the documents organized, generally according to relevance to oneanother. Folders are used in hospital settings, schools, board meetings,legal offices, and in virtually every American home. Folders currentlyof use are generally larger than a standard 8½×11 inch piece of paperwith the contents therein stored in an unsecured fashion. The foldersare generally expensive to manufacture and require manual insertion ofpapers to be contained within.

Thus, what is needed and has not heretofore been developed is a folderproduced in a cost effective manner, of an appealing size, and whichdoes not require manual intervention to have desired papers placedwithin. Additionally, it has been desired to have a folder wherein thecontents are fixedly attached so that papers are not lost duringmovement and transport of the folder. Accordingly, it is an object ofthe present invention to provide a folder and method of making suchfolder that benefits the needs of the public.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a folder and a method of making the folder.Generally, the folder includes a backing having an outer surface and aninner surface; a fold line dividing the inner surface into a left sideand a right side; a first pocket secured to the inner surface; and oneor more inserts detachably connected to the inner surface, wherein theone or more inserts are partially contained within the first pocket.

The first pocket is situated on the left or right side of the innersurface substantially along a lower edge thereof. The first pocket isremovably secured to the left or right side of the inner surface by anadhesive. The adhesive is situated along a first pocket to folderhorizontal junction and along at least one first pocket to foldervertical junction. The first pocket to folder horizontal junction issituated along the lower edge of the inner surface and the first pocketto folder vertical junction may be situated along a left edge of theleft side, a right edge of the right side and/or along the fold line.The fold line may include a perforation. The backing of the folder isconstructed of thicker gauge paper material than the inserts. The firstpocket may be sized to accommodate additional paper material or otherprinted literature, including, but not limited to brochures andadvertisements.

Each of the inserts include a perforation defining a top portion and abottom portion of the insert. The perforation allows the top portion tobe torn from the bottom portion. The top portion may contain preprintedinformational material on either one or both sides thereof. The bottomportion is secured to at least one of the inner surface and the leftpocket, desirably, via an adhesive. Each of the inserts may be longer inlength than a preceding insert, so that the inserts are arranged in anoffset arrangement.

The folder may also include a second pocket secured to the innersurface. Desirably, the second pocket is situated on the left or rightside of the inner surface substantially along a lower edge thereof.Thus, for example, the left side may include the first pocket and theright side may include the second pocket. In such instance, the secondpocket may form a substantially unitary piece with the first pocket.Another set of inserts may be detachably connected to the right side andmay also be partially contained within the second pocket. Alternatively,the left side may include both the first and second pockets.

The present invention also includes a folder including a first sheethaving a fold line defining a left and right side and a second sheet ofunitary construction substantially spanning from the left side to theride side of the first sheet. The second sheet is secured along a bottomportion of the left and right first sheet and along a left and rightedge of the left and right sides, respectively. Accordingly, a left andright pocket are formed on the left and right sides of the folder. Oneor more inserts are detachably connected to the left or right side andare partially contained within the left or right pocket.

A method of manufacturing the aforementioned folder includes the stepsof providing an outer sheet constructed of paper material and at leastone insert sheet constructed of paper material. Thereafter, the insertsheet is positioned atop the outer sheet. As is known in the art, theinsert sheet may then be chipped. A pocket body sized to partiallyreceive the insert sheet therein is secured to the outer sheet topartially cover the insert sheet. The pocket body may be secured to theouter sheet via a cross-webbed gluing process. Furthermore, aperforation may be formed in the insert sheet such that the perforationdefines a top portion and a bottom portion of the insert sheet. The topportion is therefore adapted to be torn from the bottom portion.

Still other desirable features of the invention will become apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding thefollowing detailed description, taken with the accompanying drawings,wherein like reference numerals represent like elements throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a folder in accordance with the presentinvention in a laid open position having inserts secured therein;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the folder depicted in FIG. 1 in a closedposition showing an outer front surface thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the folder depicted in FIG. 1 in a closedposition showing an outer back surface thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of the folder depicted in FIG. 1 showing theouter front and back surface thereof;

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of the folder depicted in FIG. 1 in the laidopen position showing inner left and right pockets in an exploded-likeview;

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the folder depicted in FIG. 1 showingseparation and removal of the inserts therefrom; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the steps for manufacturing thefolder depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying figures. It is to be understood that the specific systemillustrated in the attached figures and described in the followingspecification is simply an exemplary embodiment of the present inventionand that the invention may assume various alternative variations, exceptwhere expressly specified to the contrary. For purposes of thedescription hereinafter, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”,“outer”, “inner”, “vertical” and “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof,shall relate to the invention as it is oriented in the drawing figures.

The present invention is a folder and a method of making the same thatcontains removably attached inserts therein and is capable of having asize relating to standard 8½×11 inch paper. However, it is to beunderstood that the folder may be sized to accommodate various sizes ofpaper. The inserts may include various printed material, such asinformational material (e.g., hospital contact information), or othertyped or graphically depicted subject matter. The printed material maybe on both sides of the insert.

Referring to FIG. 1, the folder 2 is shown in the laid open position. Ascan be seen from this view, the folder has an inner left side 4 and aninner right side 6, both sides 4, 6 may contain one or more inserts 14.The one or more inserts 14 may be partially covered by pockets 8, 10.The outer surface left pocket 8 and the outer surface right pocket 10are shown. A vertical fold line 12 is also illustrated showing the sideseparation of the folder 2 between the inner left side 4 and the innerright side 6, as well as the outer surface left pocket 8 and the outersurface right pocket 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates the folder 2 in a closed position with the outerfront surface 16 being shown. FIG. 3 shows the folder 2 in the closedposition with the outer back surface 18 of the folder 2 being shown.FIG. 4 shows a folder 2 of the present invention in a face up laid openposition. The vertical fold line 12 is a demarcation line between outerfront surface 16 and outer back surface 18 of the folder 2.

FIG. 5 illustrates the folder 2 of the present invention in a laid openexploded-like view. FIG. 5 illustrates the inner surface left pocket 20and the inner surface right pocket 22, as well as showing the pocket tofolder horizontal junction 24 and the pocket to folder vertical junction26. As shown, more than one vertical junction 26 is formed by thecross-web glue unit. Arrows 27 a and 27 b indicate how the inner leftand right pockets 20, 22 are matched to corresponding portions of theinner left and right sides 4, 6, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vertical perforation 28 is situated between theinner left side 4 and the inner right side 6 of the folder 2. Horizontalperforations 30 are located at bottom portions of the one or moreinserts 14 detachably secured to the folder 2. Generally, theperforation defines a top portion and a bottom portion for each of theinserts 14. The perforation allows the top portion to be torn, andthereby detached, from the bottom portion. The top portion may containpreprinted informational material on either one or both sides thereof.The bottom portion is secured to either the inner left side 4 and/or theinner right side 6 along a lower edge thereof. Each of the inserts 14may be longer in length than a preceding insert 14, so that the inserts14 are arranged in an offset arrangement.

FIG. 6 illustrates the folder 2 of the present invention in a laid openposition with the outer surface left pocket 8 detached from the innerleft side 4 allowing the detached one or more inserts 14 to be slidablyremoved from the inner left side 4. The outer surface right pocket 10 isstill intact. However, it is to be understood that one or both the outersurface left pocket 8 and the outer surface right pocket 10 may bedetached or kept intact.

With reference to FIG. 7, a flow chart illustrating the steps formanufacturing the folder 2 is depicted. The folder 2 of the presentinvention is ideally manufactured using a roll to roll printing pressand collator. Exemplary sizes of rotary web offset press sizes that maybe utilized include 14-inch, 17-inch, 22-inch, 24-inch, and 28-inch.Muller-Martini, Didde or Harris brand presses are preferred. A Hamilton10 Station Roll Collator, with Tamarac chip unit, and cross-web gluecapability is also preferred. However, there are many press and collatormanufacturers that may provide the necessary hardware for manufacture ofthe folder 2. It is to be understood that the folder 2 may alternativelybe manually produced. The folder 2 is typically made of a relativelythick gauge paper material, such as 0.008 inches thick, on a roll withthe desired one or more inserts 14 being of a lighter gauge papermaterial, such as 0.003 inches thick, and having printed materialsthereon.

First, an outer sheet, e.g., the folder material, and one or more insertsheets are provided, as shown in steps 40 and 41. The paper materialsare layered so that the folder material is the bottom layer and thegenerally thinner paper material of the one or more inserts 14 arelayered thereon, as shown in step 42. Desirably, the inserts 14, orthinner paper material, are glued to each other one at a time after theunderneath most insert has been glued to the folder material. Thus, theinsert sheets 14 are effectively attached to the outer sheet, as shownin step 43. The still intact inserts then, optionally, undergo a cuttingprocess known as chipping in the art, wherein the insert sheets 14 arechipped and the chips are removed to allow the insert to fit inside thepocket, as shown in step 44. Desirably, the layered insert sheets 14 aresimultaneously chipped. The vertical perforations 28 and the horizontalperforations 30 are punched in where desired. The vertical perforation28 may also be a scoreline and is used to direct the fold line of thefolder 2. The pockets 20, 22 (or a pocket body embodied as unitary leftand right side pockets), sized to partially receive the inserts 14, areprovided, as shown in step 45. Thereafter, the pockets 20, 22, or pocketbody, are secured to the outer sheet to partially cover the inserts 14,as shown in step 46. Specifically, the appropriate machine performs across-webbed gluing process at the pocket to folder horizontal junction24 and the pocket to folder vertical junction 26. However, it is to beunderstood that other securing techniques or mechanisms may be utilizedincluding, but not limited to stapling and crimping. The completedfolders are then ready for packaging and shipment.

The aforementioned manufacturing process provides an efficient method ofproducing folders. Unlike prior art folder manufacture, the presentinvention requires no additional steps of folding or manipulating theunderlying folder material. For example, prior art folders are createdby folding a bottom portion of the folder material. Also, a machine mustbe configured to prepackage literature intended to be contained withinthe folder material. Alternatively, the prepackaged literature may bemanually inserted into each folder. Additionally, the literature to becontained within the prior art folders may shift, be lost, or becomedisorganized during the manufacture, packaging, or shipment stages.

Thus, the prior art approach to manufacture of folders may be atime-consuming, inefficient, ineffective, and costly process. It isbelieved that the present invention can produce a folder 2 with one ormore inserts 14 for approximately one-third the cost of presentfolder/insert arrangements because the complete process is automated andrequires no manual labor to place the inserts in a folder. The presentinvention, therefore, allows the prepackaged literature, embodied as theinserts 14, to be efficiently and securely contained within the folder2.

It is to be understood that the folder of the present invention may bemodified in shape, size, as well as number of available pockets. The oneor more inserts 14 need not be perforated and other types of sheets canbe provided, such as carbonless paper forms. Additionally, the one ormore inserts may be of varying shapes and sizes as well. Further, theone or more inserts 14 may not be detachably secured to the folder 2 atthe time of manufacture. The inserts may have additional fastening tokeep them together once removed from the folder.

The invention has been described with reference to the desirableembodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others uponreading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It isintended that the invention be construed as including all suchmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe appended claims or the

1. A folder, comprising: a backing having an outer surface and an innersurface; a fold line dividing the inner surface into a left side and aright side; and one or more inserts detachably connected to the innersurface.
 2. The folder of claim 1, further comprising a first pocketsecured to the inner surface, wherein the one or more inserts arepartially contained within the first pocket.
 3. The folder of claim 2,wherein the first pocket is situated on the left or right side of theinner surface substantially along a lower edge thereof.
 4. The folder ofclaim 3, wherein the first pocket is removably secured to the left orright side of the inner surface by one of an adhesive, a staple, and acrimp.
 5. The folder of claim 4, wherein the adhesive is situated alonga first pocket to folder horizontal junction and along at least onefirst pocket to folder vertical junction.
 6. The folder of claim 5,wherein the first pocket to folder horizontal junction is situated alongthe lower edge of the inner surface.
 7. The folder of claim 5, whereinthe at least one first pocket to folder vertical junction is situated atleast one of a left edge of the left side, a right edge of the rightside, and along the fold line.
 8. The folder of claim 2, wherein each ofthe inserts includes a perforation defining a top portion and a bottomportion of the insert, wherein the top portion is adapted to be tornfrom the bottom portion.
 9. The folder of claim 8 wherein the topportion contains preprinted informational material.
 10. The folder ofclaim 8, wherein the bottom portion is fixedly secured to at least oneof the left side of the inner surface, the right side of the innersurface, and the first pocket.
 11. The folder of claim 1, wherein eachof the inserts is longer in length than a preceding insert, wherein theinserts are arranged in an offset arrangement.
 12. The folder of claim1, wherein the first pocket is sized to accommodate additional papermaterial.
 13. The folder of claim 1, wherein the fold line includes aperforation.
 14. The folder of claim 3, further comprising a secondpocket secured to the inner surface, wherein the second pocket issituated on the left or right side of the inner surface substantiallyalong a lower edge thereof.
 15. The folder of claim 14, wherein thesecond pocket forms a substantially unitary piece with the first pocket.16. A folder comprising: a first sheet having a fold line defining aleft and right side; a second sheet of unitary constructionsubstantially spanning from the left side to the right side of the firstsheet, wherein the second sheet is secured along a bottom portion of theleft and right first sheet and along a left and right edge of the leftand right sides, respectively, wherein a left and right pocket areformed on the left and right sides; and one or more inserts detachablyconnected to the left or right side and partially contained within theleft or right pocket.
 17. A method of manufacturing a folder, the methodcomprising the steps of: a) providing an outer sheet constructed ofpaper material; b) providing at least one insert sheet constructed ofpaper material; c) positioning the at least one insert sheet atop theouter sheet; d) attaching the at least one insert sheet to the outersheet; e) providing a pocket body sized to partially receive the insertsheet therein; and f) securing the pocket body to the outer sheet topartially cover the insert sheet.
 18. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising the step of chipping the insert sheet.
 19. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the pocket body is secured to the outer sheet via agluing process.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the stepof forming a perforation in the insert sheet, wherein the perforationdefines a top portion and a bottom portion of the insert sheet, whereinthe top portion is adapted to be torn from the bottom portion.